Ladder construction



LADDER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 21, 1963 INVENTOR.

ROBERT W. FAGALY x @WW 5% ATTORNEY 3,199,628 LADDER CUNSTRUCTION Robert W. Fagaly, 6133 SE. 17th, Portland, Greg. Filed Mar. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 266,981 3 Qlaims. (Cl. ISL-2G0) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ladder constructions and more particularly is concerned with a ladder employing an adjustable arcuate foot member adapted to adjust the ladder to a vertical position when the supporting surface is not level.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a ladder employing a foot member and wherein there is employed novel structure and connection between the ladder and foot member to achieve the following features.

1) The foot member is engaged with both side rails of the ladder to facilitate stability.

(2) The foot member includes a tubular portion to form a lightweight but structurally rigid support.

(3) The foot member is constructed and arranged such that the space between the bottom of the foot and the first step of the ladder is substantially similar to the spacing between all the steps of the ladder.

(4) A frictional clamp is provided between the adjust able foot member and the ladder which facilitates easy adjustment but positive connection in such adjusted position.

(5) A modified construction and arrangement is provided to facilitate connection to existing ladders.

(6) The device is simplified in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Briefly stated, the ladder construction hereof employs a bottom foot member which is arcuate in shape and which is rotatable to position the bottom edges of the foot member at different levels. The foot member, in cross section, has one or more full length projections and the lower edges of the ladder rails are provided with recesses to receive such projection in a slidable connection. Releasable clamp means are provided in association with the arcuate foot member and with the lowermost step of the ladder to provide selected positions of adjustment of the foot member.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects thereof will become more apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ladder embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of releasable clamp means, taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the guide connection between the ladder rails and the adjustable foot member, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the ladder showing the foot member adjusted to a position wherein the bottom edges thereof are at different levels; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a modification wherein principles of the present invention may be applied to existing ladders.

Referring specifically to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a ladder 10 in the form of a step ladder embodying the instant invention. Such ladder employs a pair of side rails 12 and a plurality of substantially equally spaced steps 14. This type of ladder also employs a pivoted rear leg 16 similarly employing side rails 12. Although the invention is shown and described herein as being applied to a step ladder it could as well be applied to the ordinary or single leg ladder.

The adjustable foot member, designated by the numeral 20, is arcuate in shape and has one or more projections 22 on its upper surface throughout the full length thereof. In a preferred construction it comprises apair of tubes or supports 24, FIG. 3, interconnected by a horizontal web portion 26. Such structure facilitates structural rigidity and as will appear hereinafter provides for an efficient guiding function with the side rails of the ladder, the foot member 20 being mounted in a downturned position. Projections 22 comprise the upper portions of the tubes 24. 7

The lower ends of the ladder rails 12 are provided with recesses 28 arranged to receive the upper projecting portions 22 of the tubes 24. This arrangement provides a guiding connection between the ladder and the foot member for lateral slidable or rotatable adjustment of the latter relative to the ladder.

Web portion 26 has a longitudinal slot 32, FIG. 2, extending from the longitudinal center toward both ends but terminating short of such ends. This slot receives a clamp screw 34 projecting through an aperture 36 in the lowermost ladder step 14, and threadedly engageable with the screw 34- is a hand nut 38 having a shank portion 40 which engages the bottom surface of web 26 between the tubes 24. Aperture 36 in the lowermost step 14 has a countersunk portion 42 for receiving the head of the screw in order that the top surface of this step will have no obstructions.

By loosening the hand nut 38 the foot member 20 may be slidably adjusted relative to the ladder and securement between the ladder and foot member in a selected adjusted position of the latter is accomplished by tightening said nut. The compression of the foot member against the bottom edges of the ladder side rails as Well as against the bottom surface of the step 14 provides a positive and fixed connection between the foot member and the ladder so that there will be no possibility of accidental slippage when the operator is using the ladder.

As best apparent in FIG. 1, the present device does not obstruct in any way the use of the steps of the ladder. The area between the first and second step is entirely clear and furthermore even the area under the first step is substantially clear. Furthermore, the present device i constructed and arranged such that the space between the bottom terminal edges of the foot member 20 and the first step, or in other words the radial dimension of the foot member at the center thereof, is substantially the same as the spacing between all the steps.

Also forming a part of the instant invention is a conversion kit by means of which the device may be mounted on existing ladders. For this purpose, there are provided sleeve or cap members 44, FIGURE 5, open at their upper end and shaped and dimensioned to receive a lower portion of the side rails 12. Integral connection of the sleeves 44 with the ladder side rails is provided by bolts 46 projecting through the sleeves and the. side rails.

The lower end of the sleeves 44 have recesses 28a similar to the recesses 28 described hereinabove, for the reception of the foot member 2%.

FIG. 5 shows one of the sleeves 44 in mounted position and the other positioned for engaging the ladder rail. Although not illustrated in FIG. 5, the foot member 20 would, similar to FIG. 1, engage the undcrsurface of the lowermost step 14 and employ clamp means similar to that also described in connection with FIGURE 1.

In some cases, it may be desirable to saw off a portion of the bottom of the side rails for mounting of the conversion kit thereon in order that the distance from the ground to the first step with the foot installed will be substantially similar to the spacing between the upper steps.

The present foot member may be applied to a stepladder as shown or to the regular single leg ladder. When q a applied to a stepladder a foot member 20 may be provided for both legs, and for this purpose the rear leg 16 of the step ladder may be provided, if not already present, with a cross piece 48 spaced upwardly from thebottom edge of the side rails a similar distance as the lowermost step 14. This cross piece has similar construction and association with foot member 253 as described in connection with the foot leg of the ladder.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A ladder construction having side rails and a plurality of steps supported by the side rails including a lowermost step spaced upwardly from the bottom edges of said side rails, a portion of the bottom edges of said side rails being recessed, a laterally disposed foot member for the ladder comprising an elongated longitudinally arcuate support disposed in slidable guided engagement laterally of the ladder in each bottom edge recess of said rails, an elongated arcuate web integral with said support, means in said web defining a slot extending in the same plane as the ladder, a clamp screw secured to said lowermost step and depending downwardly in projecting relation through said slot, and a clamp nut operable on the projecting portion of said screw to clamp the foot member in adjusted position relative to the ladder to level the same.

2. The ladder construction of claim 1 wherein the foot member has a pair of said elongated, arcuate supports and the bottom edges of said side rails have a pair of recesses one for each support, and said web is integrally connected between said supports.

3. A ladder construction having side rails and a plurality of steps supported by the side rails including a lowermost step spaced upwardly from the bottom edges of said side rails, a pair of sleeves secured to the bottom of the ladder side rails with the bottom edge of said sleeves projecting below the bottom edges of the side rails, a portion of the bottom edges of said sleeves being recessed, a laterally disposed foot member for the ladder comprising an elongated, longitudinally arcuate support disposed in slidable guided engagement laterally of the ladder in each bottom edge recess of said sleeves, an elongated arcuate web integral with said support, means in said web defining a slot extending in the same plane as the ladder, a clamp screw secured to said lowermost step and depending down- Wardly in projecting relation through said slot, and a clamp nut operable on the projecting portion of said screw to clamp the foot member in adjusted position relative to the ladder to level the same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 199,922 2/78 Medart 182l73 1,491,642 4/24 Swain 182201 3,086,612 4/63 McKinley 1s2 20 FOREIGN PATENTS 636,896 5/50 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN BENDETT, Examinerv 

1. A LADDER CONSTRUCTION HAVING SIDE RAILS AND A PLURALITY OF STEPS SUPPORTED BY THE SIDE RAILS INCLUDING A LOWERMOST STEP SPACED UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM EDES OF SAID SIDE RAILS, A PORTION OF THE BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID SIDE RAILS BEING RECESSED, A LATERALLY DISPOSED FOOT MEMBER FOR THE LADDER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY ARCUATE SUPPORT DISPOSED IN SLIDABLE GUIDED ENGAGEMENT LATERALLY OF THE LADDER IN EACH BOTTOM EDGE RECESS OF SAID RAILS, AN ELONGATED ARCUATE WEB INTEGRAL WITH SAID SUPPORT, MEANS IN SAID WEB DEFINING A SLOT EXTENDING IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE LADDER, A CLAMP SCREW SECURED TO SAID LOWERMOST STEP AND DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY IN PROJECTING RELATION THROUGH SAID SLOT, AND A CLAMP NUT OPERABLE ON THE PROJECTING PORTIONS OF SAID SCREW TO CLAMP THE FOOT MEMBER IN ADJUSTED POSITION RELATIVE TO THE LADDER TO LEVEL THE SAME. 